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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22457599">Safe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FestiveFerret/pseuds/FestiveFerret'>FestiveFerret</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cuddling, Get Together, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Battle, Protective Steve Rogers, Sharing a Bed, patching up, safehouse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:46:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,103</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22457599</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FestiveFerret/pseuds/FestiveFerret</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony find a safe house.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>651</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>POTS (18+) Stony Stocking 2019</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Safe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABrighterDarkness/gifts">ABrighterDarkness</a>.</li>



        <li>In response to a prompt by
            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABrighterDarkness/pseuds/ABrighterDarkness">ABrighterDarkness</a>  in the  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/stony_stocking_2019">stony_stocking_2019</a>
          collection.
        </li>
    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks to ashes0909 for beta!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tony winced as Steve scooped under his knees and back and started to stand. "Lift with your knees," Tony quipped around a sharp gasp at the pain that jolted through his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're like carrying a piece of dental floss," Steve shot back, but there was fear and pain pinching in around his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony clenched his teeth and leaned in against Steve's warm, firm chest. The walk to the half blown-out house was only about sixty feet, but it was enough that Tony was shivering by the time Steve pushed open the door. The shock of being shot out of the sky was wearing off and everything else was rushing back in.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"JARVIS sent a distress signal before the suit went black. They'll find us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve gave Tony a gentle squeeze. "I know."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Might be a few hours, though."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve's face clouded over. "I know that too." He kicked open the door and dragged the armour over the threshold. Once it was clear of the door, he dropped the belt he'd been using to pull it, somehow managing to barely shift Tony in his arms, then carried Tony through the house, presumably looking for a place to put him down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The living room was completely caved in, but there was a mostly intact bedroom. It looked like a guest room, kept tidy and pretty, but simple and barely used. Steve laid Tony out carefully on the double bed then knelt on the mattress next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know what comes next," Steve said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Be gentle, it's my first time." Tony fluttered his eyelashes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve snorted then shook his head. "Wish it was." He reached for Tony's side and took two handfuls of his undersuit. He pulled and it tore easily, revealing the gash that ran from Tony's hipbone to just below his ribs. He was as careful as he could be, but Tony still flinched and bit his lip hard to keep from smacking Steve's hands away. Steve rummaged through a drawer until he found a clean-looking sheet and pressed it against the wound. Tony squeezed his eyes shut and tipped his head back against the dusty pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You okay?" Steve asked softly, and Tony nodded. "It's not as bad as it looks, Tony. Hold on." He dropped the sheet and disappeared. Tony took the moment alone to let a soft whimper leak out. When Steve reappeared, he was wiping dust off a small, white box. "They have a first aid kit." He pulled out a tube and peered at it. "Only a little expired. Everything's too dusty to clean you up properly, but this is antiseptic." He paused, and Tony peered at him through his fingers. "It might sting."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony lifted his good arm, gave a thumbs up, then let it fall again. "Do what you need to do, Dr. Rogers."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I actually knew a Dr. Rogers," Steve said conversationally, as he started smearing the gel on Tony's wound. "Back in the day."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh yeah?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. I mean, I'm pretty sure I knew all the doctors in Brooklyn by the time I was twelve. He used to joke about the shared name." Steve's fingers brushed over Tony's navel. He ripped up the sheet and wrapped it around Tony's middle, easing him up to sitting to get it around his back. "That should hold you for now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony tipped his chin forward and breathed slowly through the pain. "Thanks." When his voice was steady, he looked up and quirked an eyebrow at Steve. "So what mortal wound are you keeping to yourself this time?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve chuckled. "Nothing too bad." He paused. "I got shot."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Steve!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's fine! A through and through. The suit's keeping it from bleeding too much. Doesn't even hurt."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Steve…" Tony tried, softer. There wasn't really much he could do for him anyway. No painkillers would work, and Steve was good at judging his own injuries. If he thought he was best staying in the suit, that was that. But it didn't make it hurt any less that there was nothing Tony could do. He reached out blindly until he found Steve's hand and gripped it. "You should rest, then."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve didn't pull his hand away. His expression had twisted pained, and Tony didn't know if it was physical or something else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Steve?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve shook his head and stood. He dropped various straps and pouches, leaving the core pieces of his uniform on. Then he climbed up on the bed and stretched out beside Tony, his face turned into the pillow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you okay? Steve, bud, you have to tell me if you're -"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm okay," Steve rasped out. "I'm okay. I'm just -" He rolled on his side, facing Tony. He got like this sometimes, when something was digging under his skin and he didn't know how to express it. Tony waited, patient. If Steve could say it, eventually, he would. Steve scrubbed a hand over his face. "I was supposed to have your back, today. I was supposed to be there. You shouldn't have gotten hit."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony reached up with his good arm and found Steve's shoulder. He gripped it hard. "You can't do that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was supposed to keep you safe."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"God, Steve. Do you know the last time I actually felt safe? Before you came into my life? Truth is: never. I can't - I can't remember ever feeling like this. There were always eyes on the back of my neck, someone peering over my shoulder. That looming horror. And then you and I joined this team and I… We're in a bombed-out house, both injured, hours from rescue, with who-knows-what after us, and I - I feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>safe. You make me feel safe, always."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A single tear rolled down Steve's cheek and Tony couldn't help himself, he bent down and kissed it away. "Tony -" Steve caught the hand on his shoulder. "Tony."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're my safe place." Steve's eyes had gone wide and bright and Tony cleared his throat. "I'm not -"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you -?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stared at each other for a long time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Tony shrugged one shoulder. He laughed. "Yeah. I am."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay." Steve rolled closer and hooked Tony's hips with one arm, drawing him in without putting pressure on his wound. "Okay. When we get home, we're going to talk about it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, alright."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"For now -" Steve cupped Tony's cheek and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Let's rest."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay." Tony curled into Steve's hold, pressing them chest-to-chest with Tony's arm hooked up around Steve's shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But, um, just for the record?" Steve whispered into his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I love you, too."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony had never felt safer. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29403504">[Podfic] safe</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/only_more_love/pseuds/only_more_love">only_more_love</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
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